Dave Wiggins and Doug Prescott have been friends for a long time.
They grew up together in Sanbornton, meeting at the age of 5, and have remained close over the years.
And for the last year or so, the two have shared a studio space at 3 Pleasant St., above Pitchfork Records and next to the studio of Tom Devaney – you know the guy with the giant eyeball that once overlooked downtown.
A few times a week, Wiggins and Prescott will set up their painting materials and, well, create art – much like they did back in the 1960s in a cabin they built in the woods together as teenagers.
“We were very young, 15, 16 years old, when we started painting together,” Prescott said.
And now they’re ready to show off some of their original works. This Friday and Saturday, Wiggins and Prescott will host an opening reception for their show, New Work from the 50’s Studio Show.
But unlike most shows where you can wander around a space and look at the art for an extended period of time, this show is basically made up of the two reception nights, 5 to 8 p.m., and by appointment through the end of October.
Both Wiggins and Prescott have created art for much of their lives – albeit taking different paths.
Wiggins is self taught, never taking any formal art training, while Prescott went to the Museum of Fine Art in Boston to learn the finer points of creation.
“I do what I do and I never learned to paint by numbers,” Wiggins said.
While life took them in different directions, they remained intouch and now that both are retired, it only made sense to bring their art lives full circle by getting a studio space together.
“We think alike and we’ve always enjoyed the dialogue about art and painting,” Prescott said.
And when you decide to attend one of the opening reception nights, you’ll see that they each have a unique style.
Wiggins has lived all over the world – Florence, London, the Greek Islands – and made his name in the art world by painting murals in houses.
It was a time when people were restoring old houses, and having a traditional folk scene painted in your home was the thing to do.
“People would buy old houses and find remnants of these old murals under wallpaper,” Wiggins said. “And I’d talk them into saving them.”
He also bought and sold antiques.
Prescott lived in Boston and New York City, and has been a part of art shows in both locations. He describes himself as an expressionist who works with the human figure – but just not in the way you’re used to seeing it used in art.
“I’ve painted all my life,” Prescott said.
Wiggins, also an expressionist, has shown his work in places like New York City and Nantucket.
“What I’m trying to do is go back to how people painted expressionistically in the 50s,” Wiggins said.
Now, Wiggins lives in Concord and Prescott back in Sanbornton on his family’s property. They enjoy getting together at the studio and painting – and asking for the other’s opinion.
“We criticize each other, but we take and give criticism very well,” Wiggins said.
For more info or to set up an appointment, call Wiggins at (802) 272-7570.
